We were really impacted by Covid and chose to stay at home. Wool embroidery was a new adventure and a new skill. Loved it.

 Got a head start of my greeting cards. Love paper projects.

Evening purse. Love Elizabeth Crane Swartz projects.

Daytime Purse!

More wool embroidery!

 I took a day off from the blog today as I am trying to organize my photos. I have at least 10 or 12 of the same picture in some cases. Something apparently called burst. Can't seem to figure out how to just get one photo. I travel to places I would like to see with my needlepoint. Photos has a duplicate merge feature and I have been using that but I will still have to go back and delete. Taking forever!!! The pictures and my bucket list go hand in hand although many of my traveling pictures are before my apple products.

I have a tendency to take a picture of a movie I would like, a recipe, a quilt pattern etc..  Reality check...I will not watch, not cook or use another quilt pattern.

Passport cover ready to go.

I travel to places I would to see with my needlepoint.

I would love this but Jack wouldn't so it is gone!

I started this one....

So, I am back to purging photos and then I need to deal with the photos...

Another Week Begins

 

I think I am coming out of a bit of a funk. I am organizing projects and purging. I just need to know that it is ok not to finish everything I have started. So I will find new homes for some of these I no longer want. I made a good start over the weekend. I worked on my Wensleydale quilt from Jen Kingwell's book Quilt Recipes. This book is just lovely and the recipes in the back look delicious. What I have decided is that I shall not make full size quilts. Lap quilts are a perfect size and perfect in our den. 

I like to fussy cut some of the centers of these blocks - not all of them but a few here and there. The word chocolate caught my eye of course. 

The flu and my falls really disrupted my creativity. Mobility was limited and access to projects was almost impossible. When we built this home my dream of a studio was realized. However, it is on the second floor. Stairs were dangerous and standing for any length of time was almost impossible.

Physical Therapy was excellent and I still do the exercises. I can walk without the Byacre Collator most of the time but still take it should we go anywhere. 

                                    

I worked on smaller projects hand sewed and quite enjoyed the process. The above shall be a pillow after I choose a backing.

The studio is next (give me strength). Jack says I have too much stuff. He is correct. 

I find that this age is a time of reflection and memories. Very soothing.

 

My current knitting project. I find the AC chilly as the vent seems to blow right on me. Fun knit.

Working on the blog again after a long spell. The cell phone replaced my camera and for some reason I could not upload the photos. Now I can!

My project for Christmas. A Limoges Box by Julia is in progress and is taking forever.

Now I can get upstairs! Life is much easier now. 

Project Headquarters with Rollator in foreground at the ready.

This was my first and last painting. I took an art class in college and this was my final exam painted in the dorm (perhaps accompanied by some forbidden liquid). I passed and when I moved out of the dorm I left it. My dear friend Adair RIP aka as the keeper saved it. Many, many years later Adair came to visit and handed me the canvas. Jack loved it and insisted I sign it and then he had it framed. It now lives in the project room along with other projects and collections. 

 I just cannot believe that I am 81 and Jack is 85. This past wast week would have been Rich and my 59th wedding anniversary. Hottest day ever! Now Jack and I will celebrate our 21st anniversary in September. 

I am going to try to revive my blog. I have missed the writing and sharing my thoughts. So today will be a trial run. Adding pictures may be a challenge!

Needlepoint and I are still good friends and then there is quilting and knitting and some paper projects. Several bad falls have limited my mobility but wonderful PT is working. But we are content to stay at home in these times.

My diamonds quilt is almost finished. Love the colors. 

My feedback quilt has a twin sister in South Carolina at my friend Brenda's house!

Wool Embroidery is quite challenging!

Some of my Covid projects!

So now I will try to publish this and tomorrow is another day!

 Yesterday my middle son died. He has struggled with alcoholism and it won. So much talent. I will most likely never get over it. And I will miss him forever. His brothers Jeff and Greg will miss him.

He loved to cook. He painted and sculpted. We talked cooking in every conversation. He lived in a shelter and was not employed. We will never be the same. I shall gather pictures for another post. His brothers will have a gathering with friends.

Happy at Home

 We are still somewhat sequestered. I am actually quite content. Lots of needlepoint and hand sewing projects. I miss some of the restaurants and our favorite people at them. But I really love my salads and the meals we cook here. 

Tone on tone sampler was a wonderful exercise in embroidery done on wool. I have done several.

Squash Squad is a favorite!

My work table before a project. I do not show when work is in progress!

My pincushion which was my first project. Also pictured my needle case in the works.

Another pincushion for a Christmas present.

And then there is the needlepoint. Learning to finish and love the self finishing projects available. Planet Earth has a wonderful selection.

This shall be a lampshade.

Just a few!

And the food!

Cheese platters, salads and Jack's perfect cornbread in a cast iron pan. Pot Holders a fun project.

And finally the quilt blocks. I love Jen Kingwell's patterns. A real change for me.

So we do our chores in the morning and settle in for some tv. Love the British series and Yellowstone. Cooking shows and documentaries complete the picture.

Staying Home

We are home and have been since the end of March. It would appear that we shall be for a bit longer. I don't really mind but I miss my family and friends and the hugs and laughter. I really thought we would take this time to purge "stuff". However, nothing has been open and consignment shops for some good things are not open and those that are would not have the buyers I would want. The bed in the guest room is covered and I have stopped trying. And of course, there are the projects... I have tried to make a dent but have actually started some new ones. The old ones seem stale to me. I wish for something new and fresh.

I have been quite taken with an Australian designer Jen Kingwell and signed up for a Block of the Month called Psyehedelia. I am piecing it all by hand. Another Jen quilt design called Glitter is probably one of my absolute favorites.

Knitting was my first love and my mother and I spent many hours knitting together. Needlepoint came along and is still a favorite. Then came quilting. Years ago I had seen a scrappy vintage quilt at antique show. $250! I thought I could make it! Thousands of dollars later for sewing machines, fabrics, notions $250 would have been a bargain. However, I have made at least 86 quilts plus smaller projects. I have a few big ones to finish and then I shall only do smaller ones.

Greek Isle by Colors of Praise. I love the colors 

 

Then along came Sue Spargo and wool embroidery. I like the hand sewing. I have set myself up in the den. I don't really watch tv - I listen. So Jack and I are recliner potatoes in the afternoon and I sew.

I have even made a few pot holders.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

At Home

 We are still at home. I am okay with it because Covid would not be a good experience for either of us. I am so grateful that my home meets my needs with amenities and my sewing stuff. The politics of masking and vaccinations is too much for me to deal with. I no longer have the ability or the stamina for the debate. We are vaccinated and we wear masks we stay home. Social distancing is not practiced and therefore we don't socialize.

We miss the little cottage on the lake but we have wonderful memories of summers past. We miss our families and our friends but again wonderful memories. And lobster! I miss lobster more than Jack and tomatoes and corn from Sherman Farm.

Shopping online has been fun and balance issues impede my leisurely browsing. I try to order from small shops when possible and I am very impressed with their pandemic adaptions. Classes and group meetings on Zoom.

September 18 will be our 17th anniversary. The years have been good. We are lucky.

I am going to try to write this blog again with positive thougths in these tough times. I have so many pictures, recipes and ideas to share.

Be safe and well.

Tapas on Sunday

Sunday brunch has replaced the Sunday dinners of yesterday. We are now experimenting with tapas, the delightful Spanish appetizer. We both love anchovies and these are imported from Spain and served atop a fire roasted tomato. We were gifted a loaf of homemade peasant bread which is a perfect base. We also used pesto and crumbled chèvre. This Sunday I shall add another with manchego sliced very thin and bresaola.



We brushed the bread with olive oil and grilled.






Pot Holders were a fun project and a reminder of some of my first crafts.



A class at the Modern Sewist in Sarasota.


Needlepoint and Quilting make the days go faster!